The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-25
MISS BOWMANS ASSAILANT.
He Is Captured by Louisville officers, and Con-
fesses that He Committed the Crime.

LOUISVILLE. April 24.-The brutal assaiant of
Jennie Bowman, the white domestic, who was so
horribly and fatally beaten by burglar, in
broad day, last Thursday, has been captured.
The arrest was made last night, ard the guilt of
the man surely established by his own confess
fession The police authorities withheld the
news from the papers until 10 o'clock this morn
ing when they had taken the miscreant who is
burly, black negro, named Albert Turner, to
Frankfort, fearing that he would be lynched
here. Had the details of the capture become
public last night the negro would almost cer-
tainly have been hanged by mob before morn
ing. so incensed are the people at the outrage.
The man entered the house, which is located
in the fashionable residence portion of the
city, between the hours of IL and II
in the morning. having first observed that
all Of the inmates had left. While he
sacking the place the girl returned and pluckily
fought him. giving him several severe gashes in
the face with tumbler. The brute knocked her
down, crushing in her skull with brass poker
and otherwise disfguring her, and then made
his escape. No clew was obtained until yester-
day, when it was found that q negro had been
lying for several days secreted in stable in the
central portion of the city. He was arrested,
but denied his guilt. Notwithstanding his face
was bandaged, and had evidently been cut with
some rough, jagged instrument While Chief
of Police Whallen was questioning him, he was
called out by the arrival of prisoner wounded
in cutting scrape After examining the wounds
to discover their extent he returned to bis Office
before he had washed his hands, and as he en-
tered the police officers who had searched Turn
er's room came in. They had found secreted there
pair of silk stockings and big silk handker-
chief, the only articles positively missed by
Mrs. A. Y. johnson, at whose house Jennie
Bowman was assaulted. Colonel Whallen came
in with his bloody hands just the officers un-
rolled the handkerchief and stockings. the mute
proof Of the terrible crime. The sight of these
too much for Turner. Throwing up his
hands he cried out: II done it! / done it; but
couldn't help it" He broke down completely,
and soon told the awful story. He said he had
gone to the house for the purpose of robbery,
and had ransacksd several rooms when Miss
Bowman came in. The brave girl seized him at
once, he said, and he could not get away from
her till he struck her on the head. He knocked
her down. but she sprang up again and struck
him with the glass He caught up the poker
and struck her again and again, but the glass
was shivered on his head and hands before she
was overpowered. He then said, when she fell
for the last time he out of the back way
and escaped, having already placed the bureau
key, handkerchief and stockings in his pocket.
The key he threw away short distance from
the house, and this was found yesterday afternoon
by some boys. who carried it to the police. The
girl still fingers at the point of DEATH with slight
hopes of her recovery
Turner made a confession tonight in which
he duplicates Patterson, who arrested and
taken to Frankfort Turner says the two beat
and kicked the girl to insensibility, and then
carried her to her room, where Patterson tried
to ravish her, but was prevented by Turner.